Sheet metal is generally formed by a forming tool that includes two forming tool halves (e.g., a male mold and a female mold). The forming tool halves contact the sheet metal to be formed during forming and exert a force on the sheet metal, which causes the sheet metal to change its shape. A relative motion between the sheet metal to be formed and the forming tool halves is generated during shaping. Abutment of the sheet metal to be formed on the forming tool halves produces frictional forces that are reduced through application of lubricant on the sheet metal to be formed or on the forming tool halves. Normally, only the upper forming tool (e.g., the male mold) is lubricated during processing of the sheet metal, because the lower forming tool (e.g., the female mold) is covered by the sheet metal and therefore is not readily accessible. For this reason, the lower side of the sheet metal normally is lubricated manually on the processing positions to be formed when it is outside of the forming machine. However, this is very time-consuming and environmentally burdensome because excessive lubrication often must be used.
Thus, a combined punching and forming machine and a processing method that provide lubrications of the sheet metal during processing is desired, as is a computer program (e.g., software) for corresponding computer control of the combined punching and forming machine.
The computer program product can be a computer program tangibly embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable storage device or in a propagated signal, for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers. A computer program can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.